HRC Praises Pope Francis

“With these latest comments, Pope Francis has pressed the reset button on the Roman Catholic Church’s treatment of LGBT people, rolling back a years-long campaign at the highest levels of the Church to oppose any measure of dignity or equality. Now, it’s time for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to catch up and drop their opposition to even the most basic protections for LGBT people. Otherwise, they risk being left far behind by American Catholics and this remarkable Pope. At a moment when Pope Francis is re-dedicating the Church to tirelessly helping the poor, it’s unacceptable for American bishops to continue wasting millions of parishioner dollars on harmful anti-LGBT political campaigns that target members of their own flock. For the sake of LGBT Catholics, it’s essential that Pope Francis’ inspiring words lead to transformative change throughout the Church hierarchy.” – Human Rights Campaign head Chad Griffin, responding to today’s message from Pope Francis.